Arbitrary
by CaskettFanaticNell
Summary: One-Shots. Ficlets. Prompt fills. A random assortment of Caskett romance and fluff.
1. Learning You

**Disclaimer: Not mine, I don't own Castle.**

**A/N: I was NellieRai. Tumblr prompt fills. ****So yes it says complete but I will be updating it****. SO, my fics were deleted, this is me reposting them one by one, chapter by chapter...it's going to take awhile.**

**A little season 5 feels for you guys. ;)**

**Learning you...**

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There are moments when time seems to slow, almost to a complete stop. These probably include - and he's just naming from the top of his head - near death experiences, birth of a child, falling in love, all the big moments. Weddings, maybe. If it's the right person. He wouldn't know. Because he hasn't married that special someone…yet. Not that he doesn't have a special someone or hasn't been married twice before because he does and he has but that's not the point. All the things you think you're prepared for until they happen and you're left gaping, your heart beating loud and fast, yet slow all at the same time.

This is one of those moments in Richard Castle's life. Except it's nothing big at all. It's tiny. Small and warm and wrapping so tight around his heart that he thinks it might burst. He's staring at her. He knows he is and she's completely oblivious this time. It's just supposed to be their day out together. They do this now. They've been doing this for six months and he's still learning about her. Four years, he thought he knew Kate Beckett but six months later and he's overwhelmed with the knowledge he's gained in such a small amount of time.

Like how she gets so excited when she sees books in a dinky little store window. How she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. And how he's been rooted to the same spot since the moment she let her fingers drift along the spines lining the shelves. He could buy her all of these books and they wouldn't be yellowing and cracked. They wouldn't have lines worn into them and probably dog eared pages that make him shudder but her eyes are alive as she scans the titles.

That's when everything slows, when time creeps. And when he realizes something else about the woman he's dating. She doesn't just want the book with the story printed between the pages. She wants the ones that carry stories hidden in the spines, worn into each page with time and years of being passed around. Her eyes greedily taking them all in as if she's searching for the perfect one and he's still just watching her. Watching as her hair shields her face when she ducks to read the next shelf, the hand that comes up to tuck it back behind her ear being the same one she'd just ghosted over the titles of that first row. Something tells him that she could spend hours in here.

And he's willing to let her. If it means watching her face morph as she catches sight of something that piques her interest. She purses her lips, something sparks in her eyes and carefully, she's pulling a book from its home. She flips open the cover and the smile that stretches her lips has him smiling too. He steps closer then, places his palm low on her back and she drags her gaze up to his. Still smiling and still with that bubbling excitement burning within. He can feel it even as she relaxes into his hand.

"I'm getting this one." And she's so sure of it, already closing it to hold against her chest. Protective.

"We can stay, look around." He has nowhere to be and neither does she.

So they stay. They search and he's handed another piece to the Beckett puzzle. He even gets into it with her, helping her. Handing her books he thinks she might want. And even when she doesn't, she smiles and nudges him with her elbow.

They leave with twelve books. Twelve. A couple Star Trek, some James Bond that he thinks she might be getting just for when he stays over. Not that she doesn't love a good spy novel herself, because he knows she does but she winked at him when she grabbed them. Some of the books, he knows she already owns but he didn't say anything about it. Especially not when one of them is his.

An old forgotten copy of _Flowers for Your Grave,_ with a cover that's worn but she had held it lovingly. Wrapped her fingers around it as if it held the most interesting of tales and he chose not to comment. He could have. He could have said a multitude of things, teased her a little but he didn't. She already has a copy in her apartment but he still pretends he didn't see her with this one. Because she acts as though he wasn't supposed to notice.

He carries a brown paper bag with half the books and she carries another. The one with his book. It's pressed to her chest and she has this little smile playing at her lips. One hinting that she's proud of herself, that she has a little secret. She shifts the bag to one arm and then he feels her fingers weave through his.

"Let's take these back to my place, order chinese." There's something entirely too naughty about the way she looks at him, the way she smirks as she says it. "I'll tell you a story."

He falls more in love with her daily. In those slow moments, where he learns something new and it feels endless in the best way. But now she's biting her lip, he wants to know this story she's promising. And time rushes back in.


	2. Follow Me to Neverland

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**A/N: This is another prompt fill.**

**Set between Season 5 & 6.**

_**Follow me to Neverland...**_

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This is it. This is the moment. The one single moment that has her heart clenching uncomfortably in her chest. Beckett didn't expect it to be this hard. She didn't know this would suck quite so spectacularly. But it is hard and it does suck. Her new place doesn't feel like home, not even with him by her side and now he's leaving. After just a few days here with her, he's catching a plane back to New York. She'll stay in DC and this is the first time since they started their relationship that they'll be apart like this. But she wants this. The job and the man. That's why she's here at the airport, lagging behind because she doesn't want him to go.

She's independent. She's never relied on anyone but he's always been there regardless. From the moment he weaseled his way into being her unwanted shadow to becoming her friend and partner and now…now he's her fiancé. And she's not relying on him but she has his support and that's what makes this even harder. She doesn't want to say goodbye. Not even for just a week. He's supposed to come visit next weekend but she doesn't know how busy she'll be. She doesn't know if she'll have to tell him to wait and come another time. Their plans are subject to change and it's hard to be here at the airport with him, knowing it could be awhile before she can touch him - kiss him.

They're almost late. Her fault. Maybe his too. Because she'd dragged him back to bed this morning, not ready to let go just yet. But he's the one who let her. She's actually afraid he'll miss the flight just by how long it takes to get through security. Well…afraid isn't the right word, maybe hopeful? Is that terrible?

He doesn't miss it. They're calling his flight by the time they make it to the gate and she's still gripping his hand tight in her own. This is as far as she goes. They haven't had to do this, not in this context. They haven't had to say goodbye in an airport with people passing by as if it's just another day. Except she spots a couple in the corner and they don't look ready to part ways either.

She's in his arms before she can drag her eyes away from them and up to his. He's holding her, gentle and firm. A tight embrace that has her curling into him. It's not weakness. It's the fact that she's stupid in love with him and she wants to press her face against his neck, inhale his scent one more time. Smudge her lips over his skin and slowly pull back to see his sparkling blue eyes. So she does it. All of it.

And he's not smiling either. He still has his arms around her waist, he's still holding a little too tight. And she's still gripping his lapels.

"I -"

"Need to go. I know." She does but neither of them move. Not one muscle. Not even a twitch and finally a smile breaks across her lips. She feels it tug free because this is ridiculous.

It isn't goodbye forever. It's just a little while. He kisses her then. His lips soft, warm, sliding easily against her own as she kisses him back. She'll miss this.

It's over too soon. Because he needs to go. But he doesn't. He stays another moment more.

"You'll call?" He asks as though he wouldn't just call her as soon as she didn't check in. It's just as ridiculous as their behavior and she doesn't care.

"Promise." She can feel him lean close again, her eyes closing the moment his nose bumps hers and then he's stealing another kiss.

Quickly. Just a short press of his mouth. He really needs to go.

"Kate, I -"

"You're gonna miss your flight." Another kiss. Two more. Three when he crowds close again and she can't stop the laugh that escapes before he silences her.

She still hasn't let go of his jacket. Her fingers are still curled there and when she drops her gaze, her eyes catch on the engagement ring. They're making a big deal out of this because it's hard. But she has his promise on her finger and he has hers in his heart.

"Go." He nods as if he hears what she's saying but can't make his legs cooperate. "Let me know when you land."

"I feel like one of your dwarves." It throws her. Makes her scrunch her face in confusion because she has no idea what he's talking about but then he's grinning at her and it doesn't even matter. "Snow White. I'm probably Dopey."

"You're not making any sense." Not surprising but she humors him a minute longer. "Why?"

"Isn't he the one that keeps circling back around for a kiss?" He punctuates it with a kiss to her cheek and she gives him a little shove, breaks free from him. He still isn't making any sense.

"You're not one of the seven dwarves, Castle."

"You sure?" He grabs her again and turns his face until she's rolling her eyes but pressing her lips to his jaw anyway. She'll play along.

"I'm sure." And that's when she bumps her forehead to his. Staying and not even caring that he's going to miss the plane. Cupping his cheek in her palm because she's nervous about the new job, the new city. Everything being different. "No. You're more Peter Pan."

"Really?"

"Mhm. The boy who never grew up. The one bringing the fun." The speakers call out again and he's shuffling back just an inch.

"Does that make you my Wendy?"

"No. Wendy left him. I'm never leaving." She surges into him then. Needing one more taste. And he's just as desperate.

But it's over too soon. Both of them knowing this is the moment he goes home. He hugs her again, just as tight, his arms solid and comforting.

"I have to go."

"Yeah. I'll be fine. You said yourself, we'll be - everything is going to be great."

"I'll call when I land." And with an exchange of I love yous, he's gone.

Her heart already aches a little. But before she ever makes it out of the airport her phone is buzzing and there's a text from him.

_'I miss you'_

And she's smiling, tapping out a quick reply, telling him to get on the plane. But she already misses him too.


End file.
